


At Least I Know How You Work

by Tamasha



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Cute, Fights, M/M, Music, One Shot, POV First Person, Patient Yamaguchi Tadashi, Relationship(s), Resolution, Romance, Short, Short One Shot, Slice of Life, Slight Canon Divergence, Stubborn Tsukishima Kei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 11:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18364703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamasha/pseuds/Tamasha
Summary: Tsukishima has gotten himself in an argument again with the other first-years, so Yamaguchi tries to tell him he needs to learn to get along with their teammates, and he ends up on his friend’s bad side too. Luckily, he knows Tsukishima well, so he’s not too worried about getting back into his good graces.





	At Least I Know How You Work

**Author's Note:**

> written by Natasha

He simply reached up to the headphones hanging around his neck and slid them over his ears. He didn't bother answering or even looking at me. “Tsukki!” I whined. It irritated me when he ignored me like that, like my ideas were so stupid they weren't even worth a response. Of course, he didn't respond now either, just kept walking, eyes forward, music playing. I couldn't hear it through the soundproof padding, but I knew it would be playing. Despite what it seemed like, Tsukki didn't ignore me just to be annoying. If I was someone else, he would have snapped something rude at me. But he doesn't like being mean to me, so he just stops talking. Distracts himself, calms down with his music. He would talk to me later, once he had the words. I knew the routine, it had been the same since elementary school. It still irritated me though.

So I walked along beside him scuffing my feet on the asphalt, kicking at stray rocks, frowning to myself in my isolation. When we got to his house, he went on in without saying a word. I could just go home at this point. Sometimes, he took all night to cool off, and it wasn't worth the wait. I sighed and then stepped inside. Tonight, it was worth whatever it took. This was important. The team was important.

“Ojama shimasu!” I called out, slipping my feet out of my shoes. Tsukki was already taking advantage of his long legs to disappear into his room.

Akiteru peeked his head around the corner from where he apparently was in the kitchen. He grinned. “Yamaguchi-kun! You two are home early.” I grimaced.

“Kei and Hinata-san got into a bit of a row. We ended up just heading out early, since everyone was upset.” Akiteru just laughed. He was used to his brother stirring up drama like this.

“Okay, well, dinner won't be ready for a while still, so keep him occupied, will you?”

I sighed again. “Sure, Akiteru-san.”

When I shuffled into Tsukki's room, though, I didn't say a word, just plopped down on his bed. For all that Akiteru has lived with him his whole life, I think I know Tsukki's moods better. And there are times when he just needs to be left alone. Right now, he was already at his desk, headphones still on, and homework out. I wasn't going to say a word to him.

For a while, I just started up at the ceiling, watching the fan lazily loop around and around. I was tired from practice and worn out from the fight. It actually started when Tsukki made a snide comment to Kageyama about his toss, but Hinata was the one who jumped in and defended the setter. Only, he did it by saying that Tsukki was at fault for not hitting the ball, and it very quickly devolved into name-calling. Some of the others waded in to try to pull apart the two middle blockers and Suga tried his best to make peace. I didn't dare get involved, but at one point, I heard Kageyama quietly point out that Tsukki could always just ask him, if he wanted his tosses any different. And he was right. Tsukki was one of my favorite people, and he was really a genius, but he got bull-headed sometimes. I knew that.

So on our way home, while he was still silently fuming, I decided to speak up. I also knew he would listen better to me than to someone else. “Tsukki, you don't have to like them, but you have to work with them. They're our teammates. If we want any chance at winning, we have to synergize. Kageyama has a point; maybe you need to communicate with him more.” And that's when he put on his headphones and started ignoring me.

I started to get restless and impatient after watching the fan spin about a thousand times, so I stood up and walked over to Tsukki's desk. I didn't say anything, just grabbed one of his dinosaurs and started fidgeting with it. Then, as unobtrusively as possible, I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His pencil had stopped moving. The pause in his work was his subtle way of giving me a chance to speak.

Covering up a smile of relief, I went right ahead. “Look, Tsukki, it won't hurt you just to be polite. You can still make fun of them, but when it comes to the game, you have to take it seriously.” I put his dinosaur - an apatosaurus? - back on the shelf.

He gave the barest huff of breath and then shook his head slightly. “I know you are right, Tadashi. The little one just pisses me off. They all do.” I giggled a bit.

“Hinata has a name you know,” I told him with a grin. Things were fine between us again; I could sense it.

Tsukki turned his head and gave me a very flat glare. That kind of thing didn't bother me anymore, so I giggled again and waved my hands.

“Sorry, Tsukki! You don't have to call him by his name. Except to his face, okay?” He rolled his eyes and turned back to his homework.

“You always know to tell me when I've gone too far,” he muttered grudgingly. It was his thank-you, and maybe even an apology mixed in. I sat down on top of his desk. He hated that.

“That's what I'm here for!” I announced cheerfully. And I didn't mind, really. Tsukki was bad with people, but he was really good with me. I helped him to navigate the scary world of other people, and in return he would stand up for me. He soothed my fears, made me feel grounded. He was my anchor and my best friend. So what if he needed reminders to be nice sometimes? “Now, will you take your headphones off? I'm bored!”

He looked up at me, frown returning. “No. I want to get this done. And I know you have homework to finish too.” I pouted, but he was right. I would just prefer to do it after dinner, or later tonight. I slid off the desk, ready to go to my backpack, but he caught me by the wrist. I stopped and looked at him.

“Afterwards, I'll show you what I have been listening to,” he said. Then he reached up enough to press his lips to mine for a moment. I smiled into the kiss and then went to grab my homework with a bounce in my step. Tsukki doesn't give out affection easily. It's not that we never kiss, but it is rare enough that a kiss like this, for no reason, is special. Everything about Tsukki is special. That's why I love him.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never written a Haikyuu fic before, so please be kind! Haha. I’ve just always liked the friendship between these two, and I wish we got more behind the scenes time with them, so I wanted to write something about them early on in the show, adjusting to the new team. By the way, in my headcanon Tsukishima definitely has autism.


End file.
